This year, marks my 40th year with Nebraska Methodist College. It is comfortable for me to leave a very fulfilling career. Providing library services for the students, faculty, staff of Nebraska Methodist College, the employees and physicians of Methodist Health System and the patients and family members of Methodist Estabrook Cancer Center has been a privilege!

The span from 1972-present has been an experience of great change in the library resources and services we have provided.

The 70’s was a time when we combined Methodist Medical Staff and Methodist School of Nursing book and journal collections. Printindexes were used to find journal articles. The Library was located at Methodist Hospital, 3rd floor, South Tower.

The 80s was the time when the Methodist Hospital Foundation and Mrs. Marion Moritz established a learning resources endowment in the name of John Moritz, resulting in the naming of John Moritz Library. Print materials still predominated. The Library was moved to Methodist Hospital, 3rd floor, North Tower. A contract was written to provide library services for Childrens’ Memorial Hospital.

The 90s brought the establishment of a patient/consumer library at Methodist Cancer Center. Technology became the word of the decade through support for purchase of staff workstations, public access workstations, MEDLINE and CINAHL on CD, full automation of the library holdings for the College, JE Hospital, Richard Young Hospital, Methodist Cancer Center and Jennie Edmundson Hospital; initial development of the Library’s web pages.

The next decade brought great movement in the use of online databases through multiple vendors. Our focus moved toward providing access to e-journalsand e-books. It was also a decade of physical movement with yet another relocation for the Library to 3rd floor, NMC’s campus at RYC, early in the decade. Consumer Health Library Services were established. Staff planned for library facilities for the new campus and we moved to our new home in December, 2006 – opening for business in January, 2007.

The decade beginning in 2010, brought a discussion of the Learning Commonsconcept in Spring, 2010. Approval for construction was granted in Winter, 2010. Construction started in Spring, 2011 and completed in the Summer. Services for the Charlotte Schultz Learning Commons began with the Fall Semester, 2011. This decade brings access to additional e-journals and e-booksand significant weeding of print resources.

Were there challenges through the years – definitely? Were there blessings – definitely – too many to count? Many memories of co-workers, students, patients and community go with me.

Many have asked me what is planned during the next chapter of my life. The first thing on my list is enjoying being home at “Angie’s at the Lake” and planning some travel adventures later this year. Most importantly – it is time to fulfill the rest of my life purpose. God’s purpose for each of us is unique and I am excited to see where He will take me next!

My passion for health information literacy awareness will continue to be supported through writing a new blog. Please let me know if you are interested in subscribing by adding a comment at the end of this post.

My heart is linked with several ministry partners in our North Omaha community – Omaha Street School, Good New Bears and Compassion in Action. The first two organizations serve children and youth in this community. Compassion in Action provides renewal and restoration for felons both during incarceration and upon release. Another important focus of CIA is the emotional and practical support of children and caregivers of these men and women. I look forward to working more closely with these wonderful ministry partners – encouraging them and providing support in whatever way possible. The senior pastor with my church made this comment when he learned I was retiring, “I know it can be a truly “missional” experience!” He is right and I can’t wait to experience the adventures and surprises God has planned for this next chapter of my life.

If you have not already been vaccinated, it is not too late. Please contact your medical provider for more information. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers information for health professionals as a tool to help public health and healthcare professionals with key information about vaccination, infection control, prevention, treatment, and diagnosis of seasonal influenza. For more information, visit their web site: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals/index.htm [Urban Indian Health Institute]

A well done and informative new animated video produced by the Kaiser Family Foundation was recently produced by the Kaiser Family Foundation. The English version of the animated movie features narration by Cokie Roberts, ABC News and NPR commentator and a member of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees. The English version of the animation is available at:

Do you live in the Southwest Region of the US? The newest Tox Town scene, US Southwest, provides good information on the hazards of fracking, uranium tailings, and much more. The complete site , provided by the National Library of Medicine, is also available in Spanish.

For those of you working in a hospital setting, the following was posted on MCMLA [mcmla-l@listserv.kumc.edu]

Are you involved in health information literacy in your hospital? Share your story! We would love to hear what you are doing and what impact you are having with your users. Contact your state coordinator and tell them about your program. If you are not involved with health information literacy, but would like to be – also, contact your state coordinator. (bbj)

Using insulin pens on more than one person puts people at risk for infection with blood-borne pathogens such as hepatitis viruses and HIV, which causes AIDS, the agency warns. Infection can occur even if an insulin pen’s needle is changed. http://bit.ly/ypsrBY [HealthDay]

The ¡VIVA! Peer Tutors of the South Texas Independent School District are conducting a nationwide health literacy challenge. Students enrolled in U.S. schools in grades 6-12 can submit a video promoting the web site MedlinePlus.gov. Video submission will open February 1, 2012 and will close March 23, 2012. Winners will be announced on the ¡VIVA! web site and Facebook page on April 16, 2012, and winning videos will be posted on the ¡VIVA! web site.

Please check the Health Affairs’ web site for a new paper on health literacy and health policy by HHS Assistant Secretary for Health Howard Koh and other HHS colleagues. http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/early/2012/01/18/hlthaff.2011.1169 (You should be able to access this article for the next 2 weeks even without a Health Affairs’ subscription. The article will appear in their print journal in early February.)